CVE-2017-1190 in Emptoris Strategic Supply Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Emptoris Strategic Supply Management Platform 10.x and 10.1 could allow a local user with special access roles to execute arbitrary code on the system. By manipulating a configurable property, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain full control over the system. IBM X-Force ID: 123559.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1190 affects IBM Emptoris Strategic Supply Management Platform versions 10.x and 10.1, representing a critical local privilege escalation flaw that could enable attackers with specific access roles to achieve complete system compromise. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the platform's configuration management system, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors who possess legitimate access with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of a configurable property within the system, which serves as a critical control point for system behavior and access permissions. When an attacker with special access roles modifies this specific property, they can effectively bypass normal security controls and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw operates at the configuration level rather than through network-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous as it requires only local system access and leverages existing legitimate user permissions to escalate privileges. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which categorizes permissions, privileges, and access controls as a fundamental security weakness that can lead to privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected system, potentially enabling them to access sensitive supply chain data, manipulate procurement processes, and compromise the integrity of strategic supplier relationships. Organizations utilizing this platform face significant risk of data breaches, financial loss, and operational disruption when this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in environments where multiple users maintain elevated access roles. The local nature of the attack means that even if network-level protections are robust, internal threats or compromised accounts with special access roles could still exploit this weakness to gain full administrative control.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive access control policies and privilege management procedures to limit the number of users with special access roles. Organizations should conduct immediate privilege reviews to ensure that only essential personnel maintain elevated access levels, and implement principle of least privilege concepts throughout the system. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for unauthorized configuration changes and implement automated alerts for modifications to critical properties. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local system exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar configuration weaknesses in other enterprise systems, while patch management procedures must be established to ensure timely remediation of such vulnerabilities when vendor fixes become available.